The Common Widgeon 183 



THE COMMON WIDGEON (MAREGA 

 PENELOPE). 



THIS bird, also called " Whew " by authors, is ex- 

 ceedingly shy, and though it breeds inland, it 

 frequents the coast more commonly than many 

 others. 



From the hallux being slightly lobed, and from the bill 

 having that peculiar blue colour seen in the scaups and 

 pochards, and altogether, although its habits of feeding 

 are more goose-like and grallatorial, there is something 

 that assimilates it to the maritime species. 



The male widgeon, like most of the other ducks, receives 

 his full and beautiful plumage in complete perfection in 

 autumn, putting it on in winter, but gradually attaining 

 more brilliancy as the season for pairing advances ; w r hile, 

 after incubation, it becomes of a more unobtrusive descrip- 

 tion, approaching nearly to that of the female. 



In the male, in adult plumage, the bill is bluish-grey, 

 black towards the tip, and having the nail of that colour 

 the forehead and crown are pale buff-orange, chin and 

 throat black, while the rest of the head and neck are rich 

 orange-brown ; breast purplish-red, tinged with grey ; 

 belly and vent pure white ; the back, scapulars, sides, and 

 flanks are finely waved with irregular bars of black and 

 white ; smaller wing-covers next the shoulders grey, the 

 other pure white, the greater covers with black tips. 



Widgeon delight in feeding on the same food as noted 

 when referring to the brent. This food is a long weed 

 with succulent white roots, which grows on the mudflats 

 in various estuaries and on the coast. Its scientific name 

 is Zostera Marina, but it is known in many places locally 

 by gunners as " wrack grass," " zos," " widgeon weed," 

 and so on. At daybreak the ducks seek the open sea or 

 bays for safety during the day, but if the weather 

 boisterous they will fly along-shore, in trips searching for 

 a safe shelter. At such times they also often resort to 

 the mudflats, and should any fresh-water stream run 



